Mike D'Antoni's group found themselves in a massive hole early after failing to record a single point over the game's first five minutes, while Blake Griffin outscored the Lakers 18-17 after one quarter of play.

Although the Lakers flashed glimpses of promise in the second quarter, the team's defense simply couldn't find ways to contain the Clippers' lethal attack, as they allowed Chris Paul and Co. to post 64 first-half points and 101 through the game's first 36 minutes.

With just 28 games to play after the All-Star break, the Lakers appear to be in serious danger of missing out on the postseason party.

Inability to Defeat the West's Elite

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The Lakers' loss to the Clippers on Thursday evening proved yet again that the men in purple and gold simply don't have the chemistry necessary to compete with the big boys of the Western Conference for a full 48 minutes.

In fact, according to ESPN Stats and Info, the Lakers were 1-8 against the West's best entering Thursday night and fell to 1-9 with the loss:

The Lakers enter tonight 1-8 against the Western Conference's top 4 teams (Thunder, Clippers, Spurs, Grizzlies)

Three-Point Shooting

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Wondering where the Los Angeles Lakers' offense has gone? Look to their three-point shooting.

Thursday night marked just the second time the Lakers have scored 100 points (and they just barely hit the mark in garbage time) over their last seven games, with the only other occasion a 100-93 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats back on February 8.

Jodie Meeks was brought aboard to be the Lakers' primary three-point threat, but after racking up the majority of his minutes in garbage time, it looks like the team's starters will need to start picking up the slack from distance.

Lack of Size

Despite outscoring the Clippers 54-36 in the paint on Thursday evening, the Lakers continue to miss Pau Gasol's length down on the blocks.

With Dwight Howard at a clear disability due to an accumulation of injuries, the Lakers had no answer for Blake Griffin, who totaled 22 points on 11-of-15 shooting.

In addition to Griffin simply bullying Howard in the post, the Clippers' guards showed no hesitation driving into the lane, something that the Lakers' front office did not envision happening when they acquired Howard over the summer.

If anything, Howard was supposed to discourage pesky guards from penetrating the lane. That has not been the case whatsoever during his inaugural season in purple and gold.

Perhaps the most telling sign of the Clippers' fearless approach in the paint came in the form of ageless wonder Chauncey Billups, who successfully attacked the rim as Howard sat and watched the 36-year-old blow right by him.

While Antawn Jamison may be a perfectly serviceable stretch 4 on the offensive end, he doesn't possess the will or the physical ability to hold down the interior in Gasol's absence.

With Gasol and Jordan Hill sidelined, adding a big body at the trade deadline would appear to be atop the team's to-do list.